Disclaimer: After a first part on the history and influences of American workwear, Milone does it again, and this time is interested in the current democratization of this style. As a bonus, they provide you with some interesting brands and provide valuable advice.
The democratization of American workwear
In the 19th century, waves of immigration to America brought mainly Europeans; for the most part poor, and having no other outfit than those with which they worked.
Certainly, this contribution is benign from a style point of view, but in the collective unconscious, this phenomenon has made it possible to wear an outfit on a daily basis that is reserved for work .
Thousands of emigrants arrived from Europe by boat, greeted by the Statue of Liberty, which was the first thing they saw when they arrived.
American workwear from the 1930s to the 1950s
Subsequently, with the Great Depression, many workers found themselves destitute and lost almost everything. The beginning of the democratization of photography led to the circulation of a large number of photos, which helped to make known the outfits of North American workers. And the beginning of cinema, with its westerns, ended up popularizing American workwear in the general sense of the term.
In the 1950s, cinema, as well as literature, propagated the image of a rebel, revolting against the sanitized world of the 30 Glorieuses. The clichés were legion - cowboys and bikers - with great figures like Marlon Brando, James Dean or John Wayne. This is the beginning of the fashion for “blue jeans” and leather jackets. We won't talk about the famous Cowboy Boots...
Like Clint Eastwood, John Wayne is part of this generation of actors who popularized the figure of the Wild West cowboy. The spectators just had to pick up the codes.
American workwear between 1960 and 1990
Then came the wave of rock and its dress codes: jeans, more or less wide depending on the musical trends and the era, the leather or denim coat, and above all the first diversions of the garment from its original use . They are made not only by the “consumer”, who buys and diverts parts for their daily use, but also by the brands.
Therefore, the latter offer clothes with cuts that are more “in tune with the times”, with certain products becoming wardrobe classics. The t-shirt replaces dad's shirt, is equipped with prints and slogans, and becomes an extension of "oneself" to affirm to the rest of the world what one is, or would like to be.
We can note that the jeans are already starting to be more fitted, as are the t-shirts, which are now decorated with patterns. These silhouettes are very representative of the rock style of the 70s.
With the protests of the 60's/70's, military clothing, completely diverted from its primary function, became a way of asserting one's political opinion or one's way of life. Over the years, as fashions have changed, jeans have also become a must-have , losing their rebellious character in favor of a more polite, hype one.
In the 90s, New York hip-hop brought certain workwear brands up to date like Carhartt , Timberland and Caterpillar. These brands are quick to take advantage of this craze to develop ranges of so-called “urban” clothing, which often means revisiting some of their classics to be able to integrate them more easily into one's looks, both in everyday life and in urban practices (such as skateboarding or BMX).
A quick overview of 90's hip-hop style: t-shirts and jeans are worn wider, but also longer; heads are worn with caps; and Timberland's Yellow Boots were indeed very popular shoes.
The 2000s: a new turning point for American workwear
In the mid-2000s, a certain enthusiasm for American Heritage began to become more and more present.
The gentrification (phenomenon of gentrification) of certain neighborhoods of large American and Canadian cities brings new urban fauna.
The presence of wealthier social classes is then materialized by shops selling artisanal products, “old-fashioned” cafés, barbers in flannel shirts, clothing stores offering products that were still has-been a few years previously, as well as many small brands manufacturing classic and quality products.
Before, Harlem was an African-American ghetto where drugs and crime were rampant. But that was before !
These share the market, alongside the "traditional" brands which are returning to the forefront with a certain success (which can be explained in particular by their history, and their products sometimes produced in an artisanal manner). Some pieces have become classics in recent years, like the Red Wing "Moc Toe" that we have already mentioned, worn as much by die-hard denim fans as by bearded Brooklyn hipsters.
“Made in USA” has once again become a guarantee of quality in the eyes of fans; just like “made in Canada”, so dear to Viberg and the guys from Naked & Famous / PaulRose Products.
As craftsmanship has been lost with industrialization and globalization, many products are now made in Japan. This know-how is still available there, both in materials and design.
This type of loom for weaving selvedge canvas (you are now knowledgeable on this) is found today in the vast majority among our Japanese friends.
American workwear today
The term “workwear” is sometimes used indiscriminately, we mix in it both the pure “old-fashioned” look and things from different worlds.
Certain pieces that were originally only workwear, such as jeans or parkas, have partly lost this typically workwear aspect to become classics of any current wardrobe. Sometimes even becoming high-end and/or tailoring pieces, such as trenchcoats.
Before becoming a tailoring item, the trench coat was primarily worn by British soldiers during the First World War.
American workwear brands with a vintage spirit
A multitude of brands offer quality products, with a very strong identity, classic and retro, which allow you to rediscover a certain vintage spirit . For example, we can cite Post Overalls , Mister Freedom , Nigel Cabourn , Engineering Garnement .
These are generally very difficult pieces to include in a look , unless you already have an idea of what you want, and a sufficiently stocked wardrobe.
The cuts are most often wide, comfortable and extremely crafted , so as to be as close as possible to the original models. They draw their inspiration from historic vintage pieces, often reinterpreted in classic and/or current materials.
Cabourn model, perfect for snowy areas! Note the work done on the colors, materials and volumes, but which make wearing this jacket a little complicated.
Traditional American workwear brands
Other typically workwear brands make clothes that are easier to wear , like Carhartt or Filson. They have “urban” or casual labels, more suited to everyday outfits, while keeping this “workwear” aspect specific to their history.
They generally present a very good quality/price ratio , it is also interesting to take a look if you are looking for a specific piece, or during sales. Other brands are completely unknown to us, like LLBean which we told you about in the first part of the article, because they are little or not distributed in Europe.
There are then a multitude of small brands inspired by casual, preppy, workwear or even streetwear (delete as appropriate) which offer very beautiful things. We can cite Noble Denim , Penfield , Save Khaki , Saturdays , Deus Ex Machina , etc., the list goes on!
This Saturdays flannel shirt will seamlessly integrate with many of your looks. No need to overdo it, a nice pair of raw jeans can be enough!
These brands are undoubtedly the best alternative to start with , because you can very easily include them in various styles and universes, and their pieces are for the most part easy to wear. In addition, many stores in Europe carry quite a few of these brands, which easily saves you from having to pay excessive shipping costs (and avoid our customs friends at the same time).
I have to make a digression about the world of denim and boots.
The USA and Canada have very good jeans manufacturers: apart from the “historic 3” which are Levi's , Lee and Wrangler , and their “vintage” or “heritage” lines (which are the only really interesting ones: LVC, Lee 101...), a multitude of small, passionate manufacturers exist.
Look to the demi-god Roy Slaper , or brands like Baldwin , Stevenson , Left Field , Imogene & Willie , Rogue Territory , 3sixteen , or even Apolis , where you can find jeans cut from Cone Mills canvas - last quality denim factory in the US - or Japanese canvas.
The Cone Mills factory has been around for over 100 years now. Founded by European immigrants, it has existed since the 1890s.
These brands offer passionate work that deserves attention, especially since there are other products besides jeans, such as chambray shirts or various jackets and accessories. I advise you to read the very good RawrDenim blog which will not only allow you to discover many of these brands, but also shops that are worth the detour. Their articles on the world of denim and its history are very interesting.
And for your future purchases, take a look at their “denim finder” to find what your thighs are dreaming of. For boots, few new brands have exploded the market, apart from Yuketen to a lesser extent. Historical brands continue to secure the largest share of customers.
A quick overview of the "Denim Finder", look at all the selection criteria offered! It's the kind of tool that's particularly useful when you know what you want, but don't know where to get it.
However, some small artisanal producers offer high quality products, expensive it is true, but indestructible: Viberg , White's , Wesco and Danners, but be careful with the sizing!
Don't hesitate if you have the opportunity to try them, because very often these boots are oversized. This is explained by the fact that originally, if you have followed correctly, they were intended for outdoor work, and therefore worn with thick socks.
For “urban” use, you will therefore need to downsize by a size, or sometimes by a size and a half. Don't hesitate to use shoe trees when you're not wearing them, and finally, know that most of them are resoleable. A good shoemaker will be able to change the sole quite easily; you can even change the original sole for another, just to have your personalized pair of Moc Toes, which will attract all eyes at the ambassador's evenings.
To get to the end of the madness, Baker's offers a system that sneaker fans know well: personalization. As with Nike ID, you can make your own pair of boots according to your desires, with incredible attention to detail.
Note from Rafik: I was quite skeptical about the customization of the boots, especially in terms of the criteria proposed. Finally, I really invite you to take a look, you will find quite a few interesting options.
How to wear American workwear?
I will end up talking about manufacturers of accessories that may interest you, whether it is a belt, a bag, a bracelet, or something else. The numerous American and Canadian artisans are able to satisfy you with high-end products, sometimes having a very assertive and raw character, such as Tanner Goods , Makr Carry Goods , Archival , Property Of , The Hills Side, etc.
As a bonus, you can find quite interesting pieces of interior decoration, and in some cases, little things like leather necklaces for your best friend Médor, just to match with your favorite boots. Pimp my dog !
To take the example of Tanner Goods, you will find very beautiful (and original) accessories there like this patinated leather business card case.
Because of clichés, many people fear the world of US workwear. But without falling into the pure workwear look/lifestyle, a few well-chosen pieces can give character to a somewhat bland outfit , particularly by playing with materials. Indeed, as significant attention is paid to fabrics, leathers and canvases, a multitude of textures are offered, even allowing you to have a completely monochrome outfit (long live indigo!) without being dull.
And if the parts are expensive, the quality is there (generally...). Over time, jeans, an Oxford shirt, or a Horween leather belt will age and take on even more character. In this regard, workwear is one of the only worlds, along with the punk dog look, where the clothes do not have an expiration date. No hassle like your girlfriend to know if this season, duck blue is a has-been or not!
On the contrary, a pair of distressed jeans or a pair of boots with patinated leather will reinforce the overall look. So in hindsight, buy a dress that may seem overpriced for the guy who usually dresses in suburban mall stores, because it's almost like a long-term investment. Particularly if you choose classic things that you can wear in other styles (oxford shirts, chinos, etc.).
After two years of wear, what was initially a raw jean has become a model with a very nice wash, you just have to look at the brands with different types of wear. Hence the interest in investing in a beautiful piece that will age well 🙂
And there's no need to have the build of a coypu trapper, or the tattooed arms of a member of some custom motorcycle fan club.
You just need to be careful and choose your pieces carefully, know how to mix them together, and above all be comfortable in your pair of boots.
So take the time to look at lookbooks, hang out on dedicated blogs, spend your working time on Tumblr , buy magazines like Inventory ... Store images and get an idea of what you like, and how you could to wear it !
